Water: taxpayers not bottomless pit
Subject: comment on Mr. Klaus Kuhn’s article and Michael Wilson’s reply on Feb. 28, 2018.
Mr. Kuhn speaks common sense and is doing his job representing the electorate. The comments he makes however need more. The first issue here is the clarification of this $2.5 million increase in tax to cover this misdirected project. No one mentioned what the region or CVRD is already spending on this issue. Is this $2.5 million in addition to what they are spending now? So will they clarify to the public that if they are now spending $2 million a year they will only increase our taxes about $500,000? Or is this a misdirection to add to the existing amount and that the published numbers are in addition to this amount totaling $4.5 million?
Now we come to the white elephant in the room, a problem created by provincial power to grant water rights to the mill. This article says that they are applying to the province to increase their water usage, lowering the lake to a dangerous “no reserve level”. Council knows what happens when water levels drop in the lake! They are aware of salmon issues and of problems for people living on the lake. They do not mention this, even though by doing what they propose they will create other issues all because of the mill.
Yes the mill employs people locally but at what expense? Duncan area, according to the Ministry of Environment, has more contaminated, polluted air quality than anywhere in B.C. The ocean by the mill is contaminated and fishing and shellfish are out of the question. If the mill packed up and left we taxpayers would be left with a billion dollar cleanup. I ask you is this the kind of corporate citizen we want?
Look at the big picture, any change in the lake level must look at the history and litany of problems caused by low levels in the lake. Raising the weir is not the answer but an inevitable conclusion with knowledgeable information. There is not just the cost of this plan but the splash effect which will cost millions more.
Our politicians must first get control of water rights from the province or convince them there is more in this area than the mill. Consideration of the growing needs of our region should be the first priority of council and the provincial government.
There is a limit to how much water is available — the answer is simply say no, build yourself a desalination plant if you need more water mister mill.
Elected officials seldom speak out; we do have a few who do their homework. Council pushes through agendas appearing to not once consider the people who pay the tab. Taxpayers are not a bottomless pit. We should be prioritizing our needs to our tax base, not growing our taxes to keep up with the Joneses.
Councillors must use common sense to prioritize our needs, not do what other larger communities do. I think most councillors do not speak out enough. They have to use common sense and do their research; yes we pay the staff to suggest things but again, suggest, the councillors decide. Stop this “in camera meetings”. We need to have more information on the big picture of suggested projects so we know what they are and what the splash effect will be. Speaking out and giving information is a good thing for councillors to do. Let’s encourage more of it.
Larry Woodruff
Duncan